Lesson Overview In this lesson students will brainstorm what they think about the makeup of the Earth. Last class we learned about how the Earth has layers. I would give guiding questions in order to have a discussion based around rocks and minerals.
Objectives Students will recognize the definitions of (and differences between) rocks and minerals. Students will successfully complete an inquiry activity in pairs. Students will use the scientific method to investigate their own questions.
Safety Issues Students will practice basic classroom safety. When observing/experimenting with the rocks and minerals, students must wear safety goggles at the following stations -“Hammer Time” -“Make It Rain” -“Bend and Break” These stations consist of breaking rocks and minerals with a hammer, using water to try and dissolve the rocks and minerals, and cleaving the rocks and minerals. There could also be a station using streak methods, which would also require safety goggles.
Instruction Students will carry out their experiments that they began questioning the day before.
Opening I will begin the lesson with a short video. Depending on the maturity of the class, I would use either a video based on inquiry or a short video on scientific experimentation from the Daily Show. This video is very cynical, but shows a funny opinion to why scientific experimentation is useful today. This would directly show the students how this activity was authentic. (5-10 minutes)
Learning Activities After watching the video clip, students will begin experimenting on rocks and minerals. I will move around the classroom asking guiding questions to students who are struggling. I will not give out answers though, seeing as an inquiry based activity is most successful when students learn for themselves. (35-40 minutes)
Closing I will close the class period with asking the students where they are on their progress. For example “Raise your hand if you’re done? Half way? Completely lost?” This will show the class where they are in relation to other students. I will talk about how these observations should help us create answers and fill out our mind map, which is still on the board. (5 minutes)
Assessment Inquiry assessment will be completed when the lab is finished.
Homework None
Additional Notes
This lesson will be completed over 2 days, sometimes 3 days, depending on the progress of the class and also on the time constraints of the unit.
Unit: Earth’s Interior
Title: Earth’s “Stuff”
Lesson Overview
In this lesson students will brainstorm what they think about the makeup of the Earth. Last class we learned about how the Earth has layers. I would give guiding questions in order to have a discussion based around rocks and minerals.
Objectives
Students will recognize the definitions of (and differences between) rocks and minerals.
Students will successfully complete an inquiry activity in pairs.
Students will use the scientific method to investigate their own questions.
Materials
- Rocks and minerals (in prep closet)
- Whiteboard
- Dry erase markers
Links to Resourceshttp://www.appstate.edu/~abbottrn/mnrl-id/
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-26-2011/weathering-fights---science---what-s-it-up-to-
Safety Issues
Students will practice basic classroom safety.
When observing/experimenting with the rocks and minerals, students must wear safety goggles at the following stations
-“Hammer Time”
-“Make It Rain”
-“Bend and Break”
These stations consist of breaking rocks and minerals with a hammer, using water to try and dissolve the rocks and minerals, and cleaving the rocks and minerals. There could also be a station using streak methods, which would also require safety goggles.
Instruction
Students will carry out their experiments that they began questioning the day before.
Opening
I will begin the lesson with a short video. Depending on the maturity of the class, I would use either a video based on inquiry or a short video on scientific experimentation from the Daily Show. This video is very cynical, but shows a funny opinion to why scientific experimentation is useful today. This would directly show the students how this activity was authentic.
(5-10 minutes)
Learning Activities
After watching the video clip, students will begin experimenting on rocks and minerals. I will move around the classroom asking guiding questions to students who are struggling. I will not give out answers though, seeing as an inquiry based activity is most successful when students learn for themselves.
(35-40 minutes)
Closing
I will close the class period with asking the students where they are on their progress. For example “Raise your hand if you’re done? Half way? Completely lost?” This will show the class where they are in relation to other students. I will talk about how these observations should help us create answers and fill out our mind map, which is still on the board.
(5 minutes)
Assessment
Inquiry assessment will be completed when the lab is finished.
Homework
None
Additional Notes
This lesson will be completed over 2 days, sometimes 3 days, depending on the progress of the class and also on the time constraints of the unit.
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